<Begin Segment 10>

RP: Let's talk about, since you mentioned Bill as a schoolmate, let's talk about school a little bit. Where did you start grammar school, Sumi?

ST: I started the Florin grammar school.

RP: How far was that from your home? Was that a long walk?

ST: Oh, about a mile, a little over a mile.

RP: And you walked there?

ST: We walked every day. Sometime, rainy weather or, then my father would take us. But we walked most of the time.

RP: Now, the Florin grammar school was one of the few segregated schools in the state of California.

ST: It was segregated. We were segregated, that's right.

RP: During the time when you were going there?

ST: Uh-huh. And then eventually we integrated. And one Japanese class was girls... let's see, one grade. And another we went to the, the other American school, went after we segregated.

RP: Oh. Which school was that?

ST: Well, they had the American people there. They had their own school. And then finally we integrated.

RP: And you went to that school?

ST: So then we... one school took one grade and the other school took another grade. It was...

RP: Was there any, any efforts on the part of people in the Florin community to desegregate the school? Or was it just accepted?

ST: I, I think there were, there were other smaller cities. I think there were. But they soon integrated. Because we were asked to integrate. And it was nice.

RP: So, so you went... you were with Japanese American kids, farmers' kids, pretty much for...

ST: Uh-huh. So finally we get to know our American friends.

RP: After you got to...

ST: Uh-huh. And I think it wasn't our choice to integrate... I mean...

RP: Segregate.

ST: To be, you know, separated. It was the way the city was... But they finally decided that we should integrate.

RP: So what was school like for you?

ST: School was a fun place to go. I enjoyed school.

RP: Do you remember any specific experiences, teachers, incidents?

ST: Oh, I took part in baseball... not baseball, softball, basketball, whatever I could play. And whatever program they might have I tried to take part in it.

RP: And you went to Elk Grove High School?

ST: Elk Grove, uh-huh.

RP: And did you have to be bused to the, to Elk Grove or did you walk there or...

ST: No, we had, no, we couldn't walk, it's too far. So the, the bus came for us. So we, you know, we had a long walk from our house to the road, street, so, we wait for the bus, and they brought us back. Some drove.

RP: What are your fond memories of high school?

ST: I enjoyed school and I enjoyed integration. It was nice to be with others. I had a lot of... I think I liked home-making. And, let's see... I know I had other classes but I can't think of it right now.

RP: Besides Japanese Americans and Caucasians, were there other ethnic groups at the school?

ST: Oh, yes. By then everybody was --

RP: Going there.

ST: -- mixed. Uh-huh. I think at first, I think even the blacks were kind of integrated, I mean, separated.

RP: In that area.

ST: Uh-huh, so now when you go to high school everybody's there, which was nice. I liked it better. I see enough of Japanese. [Laughs]

RP: Uh-huh.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.